New concept shows there's one Bold to rule them all

We've seen plenty of device concepts over the years ranging from the totally crazy to the "oh, that might actually work". The latest comes from Dylan Seeger and is a bit different from those that we've seen in the past - most notably because he's put a ton of thought into the concept, design and even OS for his ultimate BlackBerry device.

The device itself is kind of a Bold 9900 / Q10 mashup but it still screams BlackBerry. It's made of a glass front and back with stainless steel sides. There is a physical keyboard and one lone navigation button, fittingly bearing the BlackBerry logo. As he describes the actual OS, gone are the BB10 gestures -- everything is done with the keyboard and navigation button.

Bold OS is designed to be the most simple and easy to use modern smartphone operating system. Gone are the undiscoverable and confusing gestures that were present in BlackBerry 10.

You only need to remember two main gestures: press the BlackBerry button to return to your home screen from wherever you are, and swipe up from it to reveal an application's options. Easy.

This is a great example of why the Bold has a physical keyboard. From the home screen, just start typing to search your entire phone. There is no need to clutter the UI with search boxes and dialogs, because the keyboard carries that weight instead. And it's more natural that way. You don't have to think about how you're supposed to do something, you just do.

Swiping up from the BlackBerry button reveals app-specific options. In this case, we're in the browser, and swiping up has revealed options to go back to the previous webpage, search the current one, bookmark it, or share it. I used a butterfly for the share icon because it's adorable. Your content just flies away! ...I can see it now.

Bold OS drops Active Frames in favor of minimized widgets - the music apps drops down to music controls that you can interact with.

The vision here is that this one device would be the only device offered from BlackBerry. If you want a BlackBerry it's keyboard or nothing, which I'm okay with but I'm not sure how others feel after using the Z10 or Z30.

Hit up the original post here and take a read - it's all very intriguing. Drop a comment below and let us know what you think!

I don't find the gestures confusing at all, but I do realize that most people are confused by the gestures.
It may make sense to keep the gestures, and have a blackberry / home button in case the user becomes lost or confused in the OS.
Having an option to activate a virtual trackball is also interesting. Maybe a simple option in settings to select a Bold navigation mode may be worth considering for BB.

They need to make it a bit taller and wider and more apps. The voice command on the q10 really sucks. I think the should have more usage of the screen I should be able to access more of my options from anywhere

I was with him until he said drop the gestures. I'm on the Q10 and I love the gestures it took a few days to get use to and I'm quiet sure that I still don't know them all. But they're intuitive and just make sense, I find myself constantly swiping up with utter disappointment to get out of an app on my android devices

Interesting read. I worry that you are conflating the "being bold" concept with "taking risks". As you mention rightly 'it would impact the consumer, very possibly, negatively after they start to adopt the z10/z30 experience. Having a larger screen with productivity apps are "out of sync" from the Bold screen size. This assumes way to much In terms of what developers are bringing to the table. They're confused enough as it is.

I got lambasted in linkedin groups when I suggested losing the trackpad was a mistake :) now here we are.

The problem with BB10 is that for long term users of BlackBerry the leap from BBOS 5 or 6 was like using a completely different device. No trackpad, no keyboard, no speed dial, new gentured to learn. Nothing was like your old and loved BlackBerry. So customers openned their minds to all touch screen phones and just followed teir friends to apple and android.

I use a Q10 and still miss my Bold 9900 so this concept looks very kewl. However, placement of the trackpad reduces the screen size significantly, if you use a Q10, you'll understand why we really can't afford to lose any screen real estate. You could make the device a bit taller to allow the extension of screen height, but then you lose the compactness of the Q10 and 9900 form factor. The squared off edges look very nice, if you ever used any of the old Nokia square phones, you'll remember that if you drop them anywhere near the corners the device just self destructs. When you build a device you want it to be rebust, square corners will cause a lot of service issues, = cost.

So while I like the design, there are real problems with the practicality of it.

I do agree there are way too many devices. Throw the playbook in the river, it's dead. Stop selling the old non BB10 devices in order to show commitments to the new platform. Q5 is cheap enough in low income regions, if it's not then subsidise it to rebuild you userbase.

Just market the new phones and the new BB10 OS that you already have (Z10, Z30 Q5, & Q10)! You have a great lineup that most people have not heard anything about. 1 Super Bowl commercial isn't enough. Making a new phone and OS without marketing this product is not going to get the Company out of this turmoil BlackBerry is going through. Beef up the Marketing and stir up some excitement!!!!!!! #sheesh.........

Please, please. Stop with the negative comments about gestures. I've owned both the PlayBook and my Z10; and gestures are far more natural/powerful. This idea of a 'home' button has been done, and I for one do not want to go there.

Another pointless iteration of a device that BlackBerry should give up on. I realise that there is still a market for physical keyboard phones outhere, but BlackBerry should focus on the future not the past.

Devices that have specs which barely puts them on par with the competition is not good enough anymore, BlackBerry needs to put out devices that define it's brand and not only that, but puts them ahead of its competitors, that is if BlackBerry still plans to remain in the handset business.

The best example is the wrong headed and narrow minded decision to release what is arguably the best BlackBerry device, the Z30, last instead of first. If you launch a new OS, you start with the best and newest devices, in this case it should have been the Z10 and Z30, the Q10 and Q5 should have been last.

Also marketing, marketing, marketing...something Thorsten Heins Ketchup seemed not to get...hopefully John Chen can do better...though as more time passes it seems to be too little too late.

It could be a piece of feces. The physical products they make are meaningless unless the software is grand. BB should be making hero apps. The line up of phones they have is sufficient. Dreams are good and all...

The battery size, the next Qwerty must have at least a 4400Ah Battery minimum, and yes its expensive but worth it, because a phone without a battery is zip useless.
Should be sold with an extra battery charging bundle with a swap able battery.

I have to say although I love my Q10 I do think the build is not quite as good as my previous 9900. In terms of build I think the 9900 felt more robust and a higher quality product. I miss the metal surrounding around the edge of the phone and inbetween the keys. Interesting concept though.

Love z10 as it is... am a former bold user.. sure it's easy to use.. but I find z10 awesome... what BlackBerry is lacking is apps! by now they should have instagram, viber etc... i know u can sideload stuff I did but not everyone knows how to do it.

BlackBerry 10 is the best operating system I've seen so far. Go back to this kind of devices like only device and BlackBerry is dead. Getting stuck with this kind of devices almost killed BlackBerry. BB10 all the way.

Gestures are wonderfully easy. And BTW there are only two three gestures needed. Up, right & left, long press space tab to minimize keyboard and sometimes down. These gestures almost come under common sense category. No need to even ask.

Something tells me that most of the negative posts are coming from Z10/Z30 owners who are unlikely to own this device . Should BB abandon all touch devices ?? yes, if they are money losers but no if they are making profits. I suspect the former.

Let's not go back to the home button like 99.8 %of phones have and 99.9% of people prefer. Let's base a multi billion $ company's future on something a few people like. After all didn't Microsoft's sales skyrocket after they came out with a different OS. Not, after it tanked they changed it to look and act like the one their customers want. New and improved OS with the look people want. BlackBerry could have done that with the 9900. Taller screen bigger battery, really good camera and hardware and a new OS to drive it. High performance that anyone can pickup and use.

So you're saying you've made a BlackApple Android? 'Home' button? Minimized widgets? Really? How much time does it actually take to combine the top 3 into one device. I like the easy UI concept for former 9900 users, but why encourage such non-progressive ignorance?

Honestly I'm loving the idea here, like the concepts used, but maybe some of them were stretched a little far. Wouldn't be disappointed at all if Blackberry were to take a couple hints and tricks from this going forward!

All we need is ' apps '. Apps r most important than looks n gestures. Android support is good but the quality of apps is not upto the mark, apps hang while starting. They dont work like they do in iphone n android( m only toking abt sideloaded apps). Atleast create common apps like instagram, viber, fb messenger, temple run n subway surfers, bitstrips.

Yeah... No thanks. The next BlackBerry keyboard needs to drastically change from the bold series. We already have an upgraded Bold with the Q10 and in many ways, I miss the beauty for the 9900. The next keyboard needs to be as close to the "TK Justice" BlackBerry desing as possible. We need to finally see a BIG screen on a BlackBerry Qwerty device; at least 4". Its the only way to get the top apps to build of ALL BlackBerry devices.

About the Track pad . A real physical track board and buttons for the phone do not use up screen space because the screen is square. A square screen can only increase in size if the screen gets wider and longer. The present Q has room to grow length wise.
A virtual trackpad on a Q does add to the screen size. A real track pad on a Q would keep the same screen size and make the phone more usable.

I don't mind a dumbed down BBOS version of BB10 and the home button . I do however have a problem with the small screen. If they make the screen longer I would have no problem with the revised OS concept even without the trackpad. Go for a 4:3 screen BlackBerry.

Perhaps the concept of only one BB phone could mean that another manufacturer makes BB10 devices... now that would be cool.

I loved the bold 9900 design it was sleek and durable. I dropped it a thousand times and it still looks brand new I had it since it came out. I now have the z10 but if a bb10 updated version would come out I would definitely get it

The one thing I would seriously say is there have to be a 5inch full screen touch (no qwerty) in addition to the qwerty. I love my q10 but the consumer market is moving away them (well did a few years ago). Very quickly. Which horrified me. But it's true.

This airs of the past, and I'm not talking about the golden days. Reverting away from gestures and back to a track pad would be a complete 180 from where they should be going. The button and track pad are dead- get over it. The market has moved on from buttons onto gestures. Much so that now all other OS'es on the market have them, bit none as elegant of bb10 (reserving judgements on sailfish though...it looks sweet). To get rid of your obe competitive advantage for older tech...no thanks. if something like this ever came to light I would be dropping them like a ton of bricks. Remember the outrage when Thor announced the new bb7 device? This would be that on steroids.

What I really liked about the Bold was the Track pad off course but the View Text feature.
You open a PDF select View text and you get a quick read of the PDF and even the email.
I used view text as a efficient reader function . Do not see that view text feature on any mobile devices

I like the gestures : they're not really difficult to learn: it takes about 5 minutes of concentration, maybe 15 at most. Sadly we probably have to accept that for some people, even that short amount of time is too long. Having said all that I like the look of this concept and the OS idea also has a pleasing sort of simplicity and inherent symmetry which are attractive.

Interesting concept but the home button does not solve BB10's greatest shortcoming vs. BB OS which is the absence of pointer control i.e. trackpad. It is not explained in the concept how the ability to block select text to cut/copy restores the ease of function from BB OS. Why is such a large home button necessary? This seems an incredibly ineffieicnt use of real estate for the sake of being "discoverable". If it should exist at all the home button should be located in the bezel or better still press and hold either the space key or H key. Elimination of the home button as shown in the concept would allow for either a larger display or smaller form factor. The growth in planform from the original Curve/Bold--as welcome as is the larger display--has made carrying via holser increasingly prohibitive (albeit a strong incentive to slim the waistline as much as possible).

As others have commented the notion of one-size-fits-all is absurd. For the foreseeable future BlackBerry needs to offer core products with and without physical keyboards and lower end products to bring younger/budget conscious users to the brand.

I currently use the Z30, and I frankly think that it is the ultimate work phone. And the Gestures work great on such a big phone. However, every time that I use my wife's Q10 I am reminded that BB10 is a 2-handed OS. And that form UX doesn't work nearly as well on a keyboard phone as it does on a large touchscreen.

That doesn't mean that we should throw the baby with the bathwater as is suggested here. However I do miss the track pad on my wife's Q10, and I have often thought that a virtual track pad would be the ultimate app on the Q10. It doesn't have to be a complete overhaul of the OS to make it track pad centric like BB7, but just a simple implementation that shows up. In either the right or left lower corner of the phone, depending on your "handedness" to help you with the top five things you need to help you check email one-handed under the table (e.g. Text scrolling, text selection, home screen/active frame navigation etc.). -- basically the core function would be to address any areas where you have to stretch your thumb to the top corners of the screen.

This is the number one complaint that I hear from Q10 adopters, and the reason that some are returning to the 9900 after trying out the Q10. I know this would make the OS a little more messy, but I think could significantly improve satisfaction for BB10 in the keyboard market - which, let's face it will be a core market for them with their renewed enterprise focus.

I think BB10 is great. If any are complaining that the gestures are confusing, consider this. Any phone or device you buy comes with a learning curve. Once you're familiar with the features and how to move or swipe around in the OS, after a while it becomes second nature. Gestures for BB10 is a move forward. I hope they keep that trend going.

I know this may seem like a backhanded compliment but idc. BlackBerry has the best concepts of any hardware company.

On a side note. I have to agree with the designer about bb10 on the q10/q5 and that they should change it a bit. Bb10 is designed for full touch screen devices. I always thought the experience of bb10 on a q was inferior compared to the z. Just doesn't seem as effortless and pleasurable. Just my opinion.

I can't agree with the idea that gestures "took a while" to get used to. Once you know what they are, you're good to go. It's not that many of them. Keyboard shortcuts took longer to get used to because you have to memorize them.

Anyway, I think this design approach is nice but I wouldn't eliminate gestures. The gestures would just be optional. I would even make the keyboard search / shortcut functionality available for all touch devices too. I honestly like the trackpad for those instances where pinch to zoom fails to get you close enough to "click" on the right thing. My kingdom for a virtual trackpad that you can cut on and off at will no matter where you are on device, except maybe the phone app with the dial pad showing.

If you can make a feature customizable / optional, I say do it. You'll retract and retain more than way.

The article states: "You don't have to think about how you are supposed to do something, you just do."

The gestures are a thoughtless process. Although it may be a quicker process for some, and slower for others, if you are still putting major thought into how you are supposed to do something with gestures after owning a BB10 device for multiple months, maybe big boy toys aren't for you.

I realize that this is a very subjective thing but "corporate" and "bottle" are probably two of the worst words, connotatively speaking, to use for a product. Also, a keyboard only device relegates Blackberry to an extreme niche position. Like it or not, most consumers have moved on. Kudos for the creativity and the passion though.

What about being able to "start up" from whatever UI the user prefers. Essentially 2 different UIs for the user to choose from, Gestures or Home button. In that case the home button couldn't be a physical one, just a screen botton that's there permanently when started up in "Home Button" UI. Really like the clean look of this concept.

'Build it and they will come'
This to me is exactly where Blackberry should be heading ... 1 quality device (both OS & build) with duel work/home function.
Blackberry simply cannot compete in the mass market so must head down the lower volume/higher margin quality product route and this seems the ideal pattern to me .... clean lines, glass & stainless .... just perfect!
Look at where the money is being made (not the volume) in the quality car market, in fact the quality end of most products.
There has to be enough around to create the desire and always a restraint on supply to keep the perceived exclusivity.
Marketing becomes easy with people researching the product themselves as it is seen in the hands of 'influential' people.
While I would not price point in the 'Porsche Design' bracket it could certainly command a premium price (sub 500 UK) hopefully with some of the improved margin going to fund an improved and more personal technical support program!
As they say 'Just Do It'

I'm still up for a Bold 9900/Q10 hyrbid. I'd love a Berry Key and a trackpad option, but only as one of many options (in other words, I don't agree with this being the "only" device BB offers.) Also, a new OS? Bold OS, nah. My only gripe with BB10 is that there is an Android runtime built in that you can't remove, other than that, I say it's too smooth, fast and efficient to be rid of.

How is this front page material? Yeah, BlackBerry is hurting but let's just throw out the whole BB10 platform and go back to 2010, sheesh. Tiny screen, awkward bottom edge, and gigantic, prehistoric home button. The Q10 blows this out of the water.

Great post, get a bigger screen so a Q30 with a wider 4.2 inch screen vs the Z10, a virtual track with a On/ Off toggle in settings should the user want the choice of using the track pad . And let's not forget the battery minimum 4400Ah Battery. 3G and 32G Internal storge, this is going to punch out
Power user phone and we need a Google player

Nice design, but I like the swipeyness of BB10. I'd rather that not go away. Yes, there's a learning curve to get the gestures, but once you have then down, using other platforms is just frustrating. Home buttons are obsolete with BB10. Just my humble opinion.

I'd like to add some clarification about the gestures and the home button. I think that some of you are misunderstanding the idea of the button, taking 'button' a little too seriously. My idea wasn't to have a physical button, but a capacitive one.

I wanted to do away with some of the gestures for things that need to be obvious, like getting back to your home screen. I find that a lot of people are confused as to how to get in and out of things on BB10, before they get a chance to get used to it. Those kinds of tasks need to be immediately obvious in my opinion. Otherwise, a lot of users won't want to give it the time it deserves.

Gestures like peek can still exist, I just didn't touch on them because I thought it was safe to assume that we could just leave that as it is. Also worth noting, is that the device does have a touch screen. I'm not sure if everybody noticed that.

In the end, the button is supposed to make the necessary gestures more obvious.

I think this phone is a massive step backwards for Blackberry.The Q10 is already as close to perfect as you can get for a keyboard Blackberry,so why go backwards?Stainless steel rim, and a menu button?Buy a Bold 9900 instead and go back to 2010. That way you can see all the lovely scratches on the rim and look like almost every other phone out there.The Q10 is a classic piece of design,that looks like it has been carved out of a solid flat black block.And because it has no menu button,which was great in its time,you have a lovely screen space that you do not have with this new design.All Blackberry have to do is to update and tweak the OS a bit,and I already think they have the best keyboard and non keyboard mobile phones on the market.Just because they are not as popular as the rest,does not mean that they are not the best!

This is all personal opinion but regardless the Q 10 is not a long device. They could have added the keys and trackpad causing a longer device with no loss in screen space. Repeat - No loss in screen space. The 9900 and the 9000 look great and I do like this new version but overall I like the squared design of the Q5 better. So the above with a squared design and a Q10 keyboard is what I would like best. They need to jettison the square screen though.

Although I've adjusted to the gestures, I do miss the *exactness* that the trackpad had to offer; so, I do appreciate the concept of some sort of trackpad (even virtual). Even if it wasn't huge, a screen (with resolution) that would allow the option for a little more game compatibility would be nice. I'm a diehard keyboard fan, so that part is spot on! Oh, and a column view in the browser would be phenomenal, as the Reader mode doesn't quite cut it.

+1 I don't get the trackpad hate. For text editing its extremely valuable ESPECIALLY on a phone without a physical keyboard.

Even having the option to bring up a virtual trackpad would be cool. My ideal would (on the Z10) be a physical trackpad underneath the BlackBerry logo on the front. Maybe put a tiny ridge above it (just below the screen) so you could avoid sliding your finger onto the spacebar.

It would just be an optical sensor under the logo and would be invisible -- no bump or anything like legacy trackpads.

Well this is along the lines that I thought about after the Q10 came out. But now that I have the Z30 I prefer the virtual keyboard over the real keys on the Bold or the Q10. And I am fine with the gestures (but it took some time)

Very interesting and I appreciate the time that went into making this concept. I really like that the underlying idea is a radical change in the BlackBerry company. And although the concept of the "Bold OS" is to be an easier simpler OS to use it seems like a very compromised version of BB10. The whole concept seems to take queues from BB10 and going back to the legacy days. An interesting idea, would it remind the general public about the negative aspects of when BlackBerry was RIM with the "Bold" advertising? As much as I loved the Bold line and the "Be Bold" campaign I don't think this would help BlackBerry's image.

Need both touch and qwerty phones... my girlfriend like her new Z30 that I did buy to replace her Galaxy S3 and she is in love with the Z30 screen, speakers, apps and everything else! One thing I know know is that once people really try BB10 phones they do like it!!!

I learned the BB10 OS gestures to future proof my experience with touch screens. Since BB10 came out in 2012 I'm not planning on learning a new OS interface for another 5-10 years. I've been on BB10 since September and the gestures have become second nature. I understand keep moving because that's what it allows me to do. I just keep moving, I don't have to stop and think about how to interact with my phone (which is a daily pain for android).

This is a romantic blend of the past with thoughts of the future. A nice effort!

Unfortunately I'm in love with BB10, the devices and the OS!

I've owned a Z10 and I'm currently using a Q5. I have a strong feeling that a Z30 is in my not too distant future. As great as the Q10 and Q5 qwerty keyboards are my Q5 is very likely my last physical keyboard phone.

The Z30 sounds to me like it is the best blend of the BB10 Q's and the Z10. Best full touch screen experience with great battery life.

I can understand how many people avoided the new BB10 devices and OS because they were all new but with 10.2.1 and even more improvements to the OS that surely must come I can't see why anyone would want any other device/OS in the not too distant future.

With Android apps living together with BlackBerry security and quality what more can one ask for?

BlackBerry just need to build a device with 10.3 with a quad core processor, 1080p screen, a ppi of the Z10 on a 5 inch screen, a 20 mega pixel Leica lens, and double the battery life of the Z30. The build quality of the Bold 9900

I like the hardware design, but I don't like the software/OS suggestions or changes. There is no one device for everyone. Some like keyboards, some don't. Some like buttons, some don't. The gestures aren't confusing - I find they are clear and quite intuitive.

Ugh, no, backtracking from BB10 to be like everyone else with a home button would be awful. Even before BB10, it was difficult using my Android devices after my Playbook because Swipe Up is just so natural.

What an awful idea, completely discarding BB10 like that.

"I only hope that by my example, others themselves may be spared doing foolish things..."

I think its cool that they are going to continue the bold line....however, the whole Bold OS, i'm on the fence about.....is it going to run BB10 apps? or legacy apps? Is it going to have its own set of apps? Will it be a "modified" version of BB10 with features exclusive to the Bold? BB10 is already hurting from sales, however, I love my Z10.....its the best phone I have ever owned and my next phone will be another Blackberry (Z30 or hold off for the rumored Z50 perhaps?)...I just don't want this to be a disaster for Blackberry.

As of now, eww. I love my z10 it's not broke, don't fix it. Buttons are in the past. Home buttons are gone. By doing this seems like BlackBerry is trying to make an iPhone+keyboard. Marketing! Marketing! Marketing! Jeez! Get it done! Don't give up on the best OS on the market because it's not advertised properly. Cmon BlackBerry get the picture! The phone needs to be sold. So sell it. Ppl don't even know the phone exists. Get the word out the BlackBerry is back, heck that they never left! Thanks for listening.

The only thing I'd say is the next Q-series BlackBerry should have a 4" display with 16x9 resolution. (1366x768 will suffice) I also think a return to arked keyboards is a must too. Another design feature that would be welcomed is less rounded edges.

Z10 - awesome...took me 6 weeks to be ok with no keyboard. Now I would not ever go back to the keyboard. I flick now. Much faster. Bigger screen is worth the learning curve. Touch screen keyboard is far superior on the Z10, then any iphone ever made.
Z30 is probably even better. Bigger screen, but not that big. The flicking I learned by practice, training the muscles in the fingers or thumbs. It's easy. Just do it. You will love the bigger screen.

Gestures are the future. Having a home button is just outdated. The BlackBerry button will serve the same function as phones with a home button. Nice physical design concept but the OS proposed is a giant step backwards.

It could be a better "Bold" but not as good as Q10 with its gestures and Hub!
The concept [U]arised in 2 days, from some one who doesn't like BB10[/U] and brings up a "Home button"... No! No step back! Move forward, live with it!
Why this loss of screen at the bottom?? Q10 has "more screen"...
I use both... Bold and Q. Both are good. [B]This concept phone [/B]does not please me!
Thanks!

I love the idea of simplification and presenting a clear product image, but I would hate to give up my full screen. I have used my Dad's 9900 and have no issue coming back to my Z10. Looking forward to maybe getting a Z30 and hoping for the Z50!

I'll agree with what many have said already to avoid much of the repeat. The gestures are simple to use. Maybe not to someone first picking up the device but to owners. The tutorial is what loads up first as a new phone owner. Four to five swipes can be easily shown to someone unaware of how to navigate. I believe BlackBerry removed the hard keys altogether to reduce clicking parts in the phone in turn reducing supply chain needs and cost. As a concept designer myself the shape of the device has an awkward bottom trim maybe too sharp for real world usage. The look is one thing but user interaction is another and this looks like it would hinder holding the device in a casual setting. I'm not seeing so much innovation here in terms of hardware being just a mashup as Adam has mentioned. The UI could do with some changes I'll agree there but more to the effect of a light theme versus an only dark theme option despite the belief that saves battery.

Side views? Back views? Angle shots?

As the only option? That's really bad. Touchscreen phones are leading to more interactive uses beyond the phone call. If there's one thing BlackBerry should be loud with is its virtual keyboard. I would love it on all phones.

Thank you. The daily driver would be the distaste for badly designed products that companies spend months on and gets out the door (I'm not saying this particularly about BlackBerry btw). If you ever get the chance, read The Art of Innovation, a book on the company IDEO, the design firm out in Palo Alto. Quite inspiring and visionary on product design. I'm working on a curved 4" display qwerty BlackBerry that shows a tad more love horizontally. That's all I'm saying so far, lol. I think we haven't seen something to that effect in the concept realm.

I could see this having its own BBOS and not interfering with what they got going with BB10. I've used both Z10 and Q10 and personally they're great *** devices. This concept is beautiful, especially the BlackBerry logo on the display. I can't see it being the only device offered though; it is different and still not the same BlackBerry everyone is used to. I've adapted to BB10 pretty well, and I'm ready to adapt to any other BlackBerry they toss into my hands.

I don't miss the IPhone home button at all, and as someone said when they try and use a phone that is not a BlackBerry they try and swipe, same here. The swiping on O/S 10 is a dream and extremely easy to use and learn.

Yeah, that lonesome home button, no call answer / reject buttons, WHAT AN AWFUL WASTE of screen real estate.

Definitely NO for me after months of Q10.

Keyboard navigation enhancement like WASD arrow keys in addition to the circle thingy would be most welcome. Is there a keyboard combination that mimics a home/end button to jump to first / last character of the line?

Many have tried to (Imitate) Blackberry qwerty....... All have failed. Face it touchscreen fans. Though it will never overtake touchscreen, Blackberry qwerty is here to stay. Unlike the touch fanboys, the qwerty lovers are very very loyal..... and here to stay!!!!

The future is buttonless, with the one exception of a BlackBerry physical keyboard. The ONLY front facing buttons that will ever end up on a future BlackBerry is by way of their physical qwerty keyboards - nothing else.

I have to agree. Even business users are getting used to typing on their iPhones. Most in my office would prefer to carry only one device and that singularly preferred device is (*sigh*) not a BlackBerry.

Navigation button is lame. BlackBerry 10 is best with gestures and is NOT hard to use at all. If somebody believes BlackBerry 10 is difficult to use, they're desperately confused and should make an attempt to smarten up. BlackBerry 10.

Yeah, this; my first impression was "nice sized screen", but then the next pic shows half of it used for the button and pop-up menu . . still don't understand the "confusing gestures" comments out there . . and "glass back" with "one home button"; hmm where have I heard that before? (/s)

I also like BB10 and it was a main reason why I bought a BlackBerry phone. I believe BB10 is taking BlackBerry in a good new direction that is more usable for the general public.

This new Bold phone seems like a step backwards in my opinion. It might be great for the group of long time BlackBerry customers who haven't upgraded to BB10, but I believe that is a group that is getting smaller and smaller as the years go by.

I don't think it's wrong that BlackBerry makes a phone for this group of customers, but I'm hoping that doesn't mean they are putting less effort into BB10. IMO I believe BB10 is their future, and now that BlackBerry doesn't have the market share they used to then they probably shouldn't be stretching their resources too thin by making too many different phones.

Personally think BB10 is heading in a great direction and the days of the home button just scream apple....... however the thought of glass and steel which is also very apple would really work on a Q10 successor. what I think we really want is a slightly bigger screen and a return of the classic steal band. I'm a firm Q10 fan and can't wait for the next premium qwerty device to come along!

I too like the gestures. I don't find them confusing at all; my 4 and 6 year old children even know how to use them to navigate. I also really love the flick typing of the Z10. Having the extra screen size is also very useful.

Totally. Calling the gestures 'confusing, undiscoverable, unintuitive etc.' is just complaining for the sake of complaining; they are just fine and certainly more versatile than any competitor is offering. On any smart device I will use from now on I do not want screen size compromised by any buttons. The keypad takes up enough space already.

I actually agree with EVERYTHING he said. Even the home button. This is thinking from a business perspective. BB10 is awesome, no doubt, but this "keeping up with the Jones'" mentality has never been what BBRY was about nor their original customers. They (and I) are about having the best, quality product on the market to help us achieve our daily goals. If you can't put that into 1 phone....then what is the point. My only question would be how big would the screen be. I don't recall seeing that. I think slightly bigger than the Q10 and we would have a winner.

And release a Playbook Reboot as a companion device, not as a standalone tablet (as it was supposed to be)